Devotion: Crushed? God wants to get glory

Our youngest daughter Kaiah went to the doctor and they couldn’t figure out what was causing her symptoms. The medical team, despite their expertise, couldn’t pinpoint the issue.

Have you ever gone to the doctor and had a similar experience? I certainly have, and if you have been following my blog for a while now, I don’t even have to go into detail.

It’s frustrating when medical professionals can’t even understand what’s wrong, let alone how to stop the issues from recurring and worsening.

Imagine how aggravated the woman with the issue of blood was in Luke 8:43-48. Many of us have heard her story so much that we’ve almost become desensitized to the level of struggle, hardship, financial lack and rejection she dealt with at that time.

Imagine how hard it was to bleed nonstop for 12 years. On top of the physical weight of it all, the spiritual implications made matters worse. Because of her hemorrhaging, she was considered unclean according to the law spelled out in Leviticus 15:25-27. She was an outcast, repudiated by society.

Nevertheless, she refused to just put her head under the covers, accept her position as an untouchable, and give up on life altogether. Broke and broken she still made her way to Jesus, touched the hymn of His garment, and received her healing. The bleeding stopped.

After she was healed, Jesus felt the power go out from Him and asked, “Who touched me?”—a question His disciples thought was ridiculous since there were so many people around. They replied to the Savior in verse 45, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

This verse uses the Greek word for press, apothlibo (pronounced ap-oth-lee'-bo). It is the same word to describe the process of pressing or crushing grapes and olives to get the juice or the oil out.

When you’re being squeezed and crushed by life, don’t fret. God is up to something amazing. He’s going to get glory out of this! 

— Dianna Hobbs

The crowd was so massive and the people were packed so tightly together that the pressure was crushing. But she pressed through what crushed her to get her healing. Are you willing to press forward despite crushing pain; crushing anxiety; crushing debt; crushing heartbreak; and crushing blows in life? If you want to receive all God has for you, you’ve got to be willing to be crushed, and press on anyway.

It is through pressing that the oil inside the olive is squeezed out. Spiritually speaking, it is through pressing that the oil of the anointing begins to flow in your life. If you want to be anointed, press through what crushes you. If you want God to get glory out of your life, press through what crushes you. If you want an awesome testimony of healing, breakthrough and deliverance, press through what crushes you.

Just as God rewarded the woman with the issue of blood for her press, He will reward you as well. Don’t quit on life. Don’t give up because you’re weary. Don’t stop because you’re tired. Don’t wave the white flag because you’re frustrated. Don’t retreat because you’re fearful. If you stay the course, God will reward you. He will bless you. He will heal you. You will receive your harvest.

To strengthen you along the way, I’m stirring Galatians 6:9 NLT into your cup of inspiration, which says, “So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, know this: if you hold on and press through this, there is a major blessing on the other side.

You might be crushed today, but this is the way God gets glory. When you come through this, no one will be able to deny that God’s hand of favor is on your life!

Now let’s pray.

God, I have endured painful situations and it has not been easy. But I trust that You will bring something beautiful out of this. Help me not to be weary. Please give me strength to endure until the end. In Jesus’ name, Amen.